Propaganda and Hurkyl's Recall

[Cyberpunker]

If my opponent as 2 moxes in play and 1 Darksteel. I have 1 Propaganda in play. How does it work in regards to paying the cost for propaganda? Can I for instance Hurkyl's Recall his moxes before his combat phase so he cannot pay for each attacking creature?

Edit:

A better way of phrasing my question would be as follows: Does Propaganda require that the creatures be declared as attackers or not?

[andrewpate]

Yes, you can.  He can only pay for Propaganda as attackers are declared.  You can play Hurkyl's Recall during the Beginning of Combat Step, when the active player can no longer play artifacts (such as the Moxes you want to bounce) but before he has had a chance to declare attackers.

That said, if his only creature is a Darksteel anything (presumably Colossus), Hurkyl's Recall will bounce that too, so it doesn't really matter if he can pay for Propaganda, right?  Replace with a non-artifact creature, though, and it still works fine.  Just let your opponent know, as he gets ready to finish his first main phase, that you have an effect during his Beginning of Combat Step, since most people usually shortcut directly to the Declare Attackers Step.

[Cyberpunker]

Thanks a lot. Almost lost a game because of that argument. Yeah and people tend to forget that Beginning of Combat is different phase than Declare Attacker's step.

Thanks!

[Clariax]

Thanks a lot. Almost lost a game because of that argument. Yeah and people tend to forget that Beginning of Combat is different phase than Declare Attacker's step.

The Beginning of Combat Step and the Declare Attackers Step are not in different phases.  They are in the same phase.  As such, if you play Hurkyl's Recall during the Beginning of Combat step, your opponent can add mana before it resolves and will still have the mana in his pool during the Declare Attackers Step to use it to pay for Propoganda.

If you bounce the artifacts during his Main Phase, he will not be able to float mana into his Combat Phase but he will get priority again during his main phase in which he may play said artifacts again.